A substitute teacher in Louisiana was taken into custody after law enforcement officials stated she generated erroneous active shooter warnings at five different educational institutions, leading to security deployments across the district.
Lytonja Barfield, 58, has been booked on five counts of menacing following an inquiry into the alerts that occurred on Wednesday, as announced by Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr.
Investigation Unfolds
The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office commenced its investigation after representatives from the Caddo Parish School Board reached out regarding potential threats stemming from emergency notifications at multiple schools.
Don Gibbs, the school board's director of security, informed investigators that Barfield, a substitute educator, allegedly utilized the district's emergency management system to report active shooters at five specific schools, according to information released by the sheriff's office.
In response to these alerts, school officials promptly enacted security protocols to safeguard students and staff while simultaneously working to ascertain the legitimacy of the reported threats.
Ultimately, officials determined that the alerts were unfounded and identified Barfield as the individual responsible for transmitting them, the sheriff's office reported.
"We are cooperating fully with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office as they continue their investigation into the matter. Ms. Barfield is no longer employed by the district, and, at the time of the incident, she was not assigned to work at any district site," the district's statement said. "While we will not speak to the individual details of the investigation, as that is under the purview of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, I can say that, in response to the mobile alerts, the district followed our established security protocols to ensure student and staff safety at all locations."
The sheriff's office did not disclose the names of the five schools involved in its announcement, nor did it specify the exact security measures that were implemented.
Arrest and Ongoing Inquiry
A detective from the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office later located Barfield and questioned her regarding the incident.
Based on the evidence and information gathered throughout the investigation, authorities apprehended Barfield and transported her to the Caddo Correctional Center, as confirmed by the sheriff's office.
Barfield was formally booked on five counts of menacing, reflecting the number of false reports.
The sheriff's office emphasized that erroneous reports of active threats can significantly disrupt school operations, trigger extensive emergency responses, and instill fear among students, parents, employees, and the wider community.
Authorities have not yet revealed a possible motive behind the alleged false alerts.
The investigation into the matter remains active and ongoing.